Rhodes Stitch Heart

Upated April 4, 2023.
Inspired by a heart quilt, this Rhodes Stitch heart uses many threads in the same color (I used red) to create a great stash-buster project.

It uses only one stitch, Rhodes, which you can make any size you like. Pick the mesh you like to make it big or small. The model is stitched on 18-mesh mono and is about 5×4, perfect for a box top.

The plan for the heart is below. Every colored square is one Rhodes Stitch.

Rhodes stitch was invented by and named for the great British stitcher, Mary Rhodes. To create the stitch you will cross the front diagonally moving either clockwise or counter-clockwise until you get back to the starting point.

This creates a lovely swirling effect.

Rhodes Stitch can be made any size and shape. Mine are square and go over 5 threads. Counterclockwise is shown below top. Clockwise is shown below bottom. Start stitching at the arrow.

It’s important in making this stitch that you always go in the same direction to make the stitch and that you always start at the same point on the outside. That keeps the stitches consistent and maximizes their impact.

This stitch also looks best if the top stitch for each unit is on the true diagonal. To achieve this always start your stitch one thread after a corner.

Your project will look beautifully random if you don’t put stitches using similar colors or threads next to each other.

I started stitching at the bottom and literally picked threads at random from my project bag. If the thread I picked was too similar, I set it aside and picked another thread.

It’s amazing how a single stitch and leftover threads can combine to make something great!